Developmental Milestones
Tracking milestones will help you understand your child’s growth and development and identify areas where they may need extra support. This information can also guide you in the selection of developmentally appropriate activities to carry out with your child that promote overall development, and foster a strong foundation for learning, communication, and overall well-being.
Developmental Milestones Chart
Newborn
- Closes fingers around toy place in hand
- Brings hands to mouth
- Watches adult’s face when feeding
One to Two Months
- Regards a toy in the line of her vision
- Holds hands open for a 5 minute period
- Shows awareness of hands
- Visually follows a toy past midline
- Focuses on toy for 5 seconds
- Recognizes familiar person
- Smiles or gurgles to a familiar person
Three to Four Months
- Manipulates hands at midline
- Reaches out for toy
- Grasps toy crudely
- Holds bottle for one minute
- Laughs out loud when stimulated
- Puts hand in mouth
- Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
Five to Six Months
- Reaches and attains toy
- Bangs in play
- Transfers toy hand-to-hand
- Grasps tiny toy with palm and fingers
Seven to Eight Months
- Shakes rattle in imitation
- Grasps toy with thumb and fingers
- Pokes at tiny toy with index finger
- Picks up food to place in mouth
- Responds to name
- Shows shyness around strangers
- Rolls from back to stomach and stomach to back
Nine to Ten Months
- Grasps pellet with thumb and index finger
- Holds a toy in one hand- reaches with the other
- Points with index finger
- Good release of objects is present
- Responds to image in mirror
- Responds to familiar words
- Smiles selectively
- Sits without support
- Crawls
Eleven to Twelve Months
- emoves lid from box with no assistance
- Places one cube/block in a cup
- Removes cover to attain hidden toy
- Repeats a performance to draw laughs
- Drops a toy deliberately
- Brings spoon from bowl to mouth
- Temporarily responds to “no” or “stop”
- Walks with or without support
Thirteen to Eighteen Months
- Pulls to stand
- Walks with or without support
- Squats down and picks up a toy
- Eats with fingers
- Turns pages of a board book
- Drinks from a cup independently
- Throws a ball underhand
- Stacks 4 blocks
- Removes basic clothing
Nineteen to Twenty-Four Months
- Runs with stiff legs
- Eats with spoon (some spillage)
- Kicks a ball forward with one foot
- Scribbles in circles
- Jumps in place two times
- Points to specifics in a book
- Assists with some dressing
- Stacks 6 blocks
Additional Resources
CDC’s Developmental Milestones
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
Milestones Matter: Your Child’s Growth & Development By Age 5
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/Pages/Milestones-Matter.aspx